December 10, 2024, 09:26 ET
Hirving Lozano says goodbye to the Champions League to join MLS, carrying the weight of leader of San Diego FC.
This Tuesday, December 10 is a significant date for the Mexican footballer Hirving Lozanowho will face the Brest Stadium during his last match in Champions League with the PSV. The Aztec winger will thus leave the most prestigious club competition in the world to take on a new challenge beyond Europe.
Last summer, Lozano formalized his transfer to San Diego FCa club which will make its debut in MLS in 2025, having focused on the ‘Chucky‘ as one of its key figures for its first season in the American championship.
During his presentation with the San Diego FC, Hirving Lozano stressed that the opportunity to be part of the history of a new club made his decision to leave European football easier. “Based on what they showed me, this is going to be an incredible project. For the city, it is very important. I have no doubt it will grow and become significant. I am immensely happy, with mixed feelings. It all came together. Creating this club and this project, not all players have the opportunity to be in this position. It’s a privilege. The decision was not that difficult,” said the Mexican player.
The ‘Chucky‘ will say goodbye to Champions League this Tuesday against Brest Stadiumbecoming one of around 30 Mexicans to have had the opportunity to play in this prestigious UEFA tournament.
Lozano made its debut in Champions League in 2018 with the PSVmeeting FC Barcelona at the Camp Nou, but unfortunately the campaign PSV in this competition was disappointing, with the Eindhoven team finishing the group stage without a win, in a group also made up of Inter and Tottenham. On a personal level, Lozano finished the group stage with six matches played, two goals, one assist and 540 minutes played.
In 2019, Lozano played the preliminary round with the PSVthen played the group stage with the Napoliwho spent around $50 million on the Mexican winger following his remarkable performances in the Eredivisie. During his first European season with the Napoli, Lozano had a more discreet performance, scoring only one goal during the group stage.
During the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons, the ‘Chucky‘ was absent from the Champions Leaguebut played the Europa League with the Napoli. He came back to the ‘Orejona‘ for the 2022/23 season, where he has performed remarkably well with the Neapolitan club, although his numbers have not matched his impact on the pitch, registering just one goal and one assist in nine matches.
Lozano played a key role in the Napoliwho reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League 2022/24, losing just 2-1 on aggregate against AC Milan. However, it should be noted that one of his best moments in this edition of the Champions League was in the round of 16 against Eintracht Frankfurt, where he was named best player of the match in the first leg thanks to his outstanding performance.
During the summer of 2023, Lozano marked one of the major market moves by leaving the Napoli to return to PSV. With the Eindhoven team, he played the Champions League 2023/24 and although he has participated in seven matches, the former Pachuca player has not recorded a goal or assist. The Dutch team made it through the group stage, but were eliminated by Borussia Dortmund in the round of 16.
In the present campaign in Champions Leaguemarked by changes in the format of the competition, Lozano missed the first four matches of the group stage due to a muscle problem. His first minutes of the current competition came in the matchday 5 match against Shakhtar, where the PSV won 3-2.
So, Hirving Lozanowho hopes to get playing time against the Brest Stadiumwill bid farewell to the Champions League with the intention of becoming the leader of the San Diego FC in the American championship.
Hirving Lozano’s Champions League statistics
Matches played : 30
Minutes : 1 813
Buts : 4
Assists : 2
Yellow cards : 6
Red cards : 0
***Statistics before facing Stade Brestois
Champions League group stage preliminary duel
The ‘Chucky‘ played four elimination matches in order to qualify for the group stage of the ‘Orejona’. The first matches took place in the 2018/19 season with the PSVwho faced BATE Borisov. In this double confrontation, Lozano scored two goals, essential for qualification in Champions League.
During the 2019/20 season, Hirving played again with the PSV in a new playoff series against FC Basel. Unlike the previous season, the former Pachuca player did not score a goal or assist.
Which matches will Hirving Lozano still play in Europe?
Before facing the Brestthe PSV et ‘Chucky‘ have recently played in the Eredivisie and will participate in the Dutch Cup in the coming days. Here’s a look at what he’ll be playing before heading stateside.
Heerenveen vs PSV (Eredivisie)
PSV vs Koninklijke (Coupe)
PSV vs Feyenoord (Eredivisie)
As a privileged observer of football, I see that Hirving Lozano’s departure to MLS could constitute a real step in his career, particularly as a leader at San Diego FC. This choice raises relevant questions about the evolution of Mexican players towards less publicized leagues. Although the Champions League remains the highest step in club football, the opportunity to contribute to the rise of a new club in the United States should not be underestimated. Lozano has the potential to bring real added value to San Diego FC, both on a sporting and marketing level. Will this transition mark a new era for Mexican football, redefining footballers’ career paths to environments where they can become iconic figures?
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